


Keith’s Shadow

by shaneEgirlo



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Galra Keith (Voltron), Gen, Inspired by Persona Series, Shadows (Persona 4)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-10
Updated: 2018-03-10
Packaged: 2019-03-29 13:21:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13927965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shaneEgirlo/pseuds/shaneEgirlo
Summary: Lance and Shiro go to visit the Blade of Marmora. There they see Keith training in the simulator, and now he’s going to be facing an enemy and a fear that he has refused to see for a long time. Himself.





	Keith’s Shadow

**Author's Note:**

> Just a short fic that I thought of. Most likely a one-shot. Takes place after Keith leaves and before season six.

Things were going fine in the universe so far, but things could have been better obviously. Voltron was getting word out and the Blade was doing as much as they could to help. Right now Voltron, or Lance and Shiro, were visiting the Blades to come up with a strategy for their next move. Not to mention say hi to Keith.

After a bit of a close call, they managed to make it through to the base. Lance kept looking around like a tourist since it was his first time. Shiro was just letting him take it in a bit, until he needed him.

So after a bit they offered to go to the training deck for a match in skill, thanks to Lance and his big bragging mouth, but no surprise Keith was using it.

“That boy is pushing his limits.” Kolivan said as he looked at the young blade.

“What do you mean?” Shiro asked.

“He trains when he can, but facing fears can be just as difficult.” He explained.

Shiro remembers all to well. Though Lance is at a loss.

“What?” He simply asks. Shiro explains it and explains it just in time when they hear a bizarre laughter.

“Wow! You’re pretty good with a sword. If only you were actually useful.” A familiar mocking voice showed up. When they looked at the screen, to their surprise there were two Keith in the same uniform. One looking confused and the other looking mischievous like it would have a blast torturing anybody.

“This is new. I’m fighting myself now?” Keith readied his blade.

“Hardly! You’ve never done it before, considering how much of a coward you are!” The opponent said.

“What are you talking about?”

“Let’s face it. You’re nothing, but a weakling! That’s why you left Voltron in the first place.” He said with smile. This got Shiro’s and Lance attention of course.

“This has nothing to do with them!” Keith yelled and tried to strike but his clone disappeared right when he was about to hit. He looked around, and turn when he heard the mocking voice again.

“You’re right, it has everything to do with it.” He said.

“What?” Keith was still ready for a fight.

“Hunk and Pidge’s lions suit them to a T. Allura, she bonded quicker with Blue than any of us did. Lance, he was so freaked out about leaving the team when Shiro came back, but the truth is, when you were leader, all you did was lure the team into trouble, but he was the one that got through your thick skull like a REAL second in command does. All you ever did was take orders from big brother Shiro.” The clone said laughing while Keith remained frozen.

“What is this thing saying!?” Lance asked very confused.  
“Right now, it seems that he is facing a fear.” Kolivan explained.

“But this isn’t what he’s afraid of.” Shiro said.

“Is it?” Kolivan asked.

“Shut up! That’s not how it was!” Keith ordered, but his double kept going.

“Oh, but you know it is. Shiro was the one who pulled you out of your little depression. If he wasn’t there, your life would have been very different. Very different, worthless even!” It just continued to laugh.

“Keith that isn’t true!” Shiro yelled, but it fell on death ears.

“My life wouldn’t have been worthless!” He takes another swing, but it disappears again. “Come out and fight!” He ordered. It appeared again, but it gave off a different aura now. It’s no longer mischievous, but sinister.

“You know it would have been. The second Shiro was gone, your discipline problem appeared again, and you got kicked out of the Garrison for it. Then when he was gone again you began to panic, but was it really because the one who treated you like a brother was gone?” It stepped closer. And everyone could see Keith take a step back.

“I-it was, I had to find Shiro!” He claimed.

“Sure it was. After all if he didn’t come back, you would have to take up the role as leader, and as we all know, that means having to bond with people, which is something you just can’t do.” It stepped closer. “You were hoping that someone would be able to pilot Black, but of course that didn’t happen. You took the role because you had no other choice, so when Shiro came back you were more thrilled than the last time he did.”

Keith was now looking really scared, which was surprising to Shiro and Lance. They’ve never seen him like this before. Backing away from an enemy.

“When Black didn’t let him in, you had to do something to get him back. You truly thought as long as you remained leader, Voltron might as well hand over the galaxy to Zarkon.” It just kept going and Keith did the unexpected. He got on his hands and knees.

“I did what was best for the team…” he said.

“Sure you did~. You just had to give Shiro a shove and just like that Voltron had its rightful leader back. All you had to do was wait. You knew the chances of them kicking you out were high, and that’s exactly what you wanted. You wanted Shiro to look like the hero, and you look like a piece of trash so they would prefer him over you, that way they would just kick you out without any hesitation like you thought from day one.”

“That’s not true!” His voice was cracking a bit.

Shiro and Lance were stunned to say the least. They didn’t know if this thing was telling the truth, but if it was then they had no idea what was going on with Keith’s head. Did he really think so little of them?

“You say that you wanted to stay with the Blades because of the mission, but the truth is that you can’t stand being a failure, at least you can do something useful for once even if it’s on the sidelines. You thought of Voltron as family, despite the fact you have very little bond with them, so you took a chance and cut them off so they could be safe from you.” It said.

“Shut up!” Keith got up, but he looked like he ran a marathon.

“Lance was right. The weakest link had to go! But it wasn’t him! The weakest link was you! Or should I say it was me?” It asked.

“No way! You’re not me!” Keith yelled at it.

It started to laugh uncontrollably and suddenly looked different.

“I am your greatest fear, your true inner self!” It suddenly look like a purple werewolf was in front of him.

It’s lower jaw was out with fangs that looked like they belonged on a saber tooth tiger, it had a long tail with black hair going from the top of his head down its back, its whole body was dark purple and its eyes were glowing yellow and it had a mark on the side of its face that looked like a birthmark or even a scar.

“Let’s see how long you’ll continue to ignore me!” It said.

Keith went to attack, but it had the upper hand. No matter what Keith did it knew what to do. Not to mention that talk left him emotionally drained. He looked like he was on the verge of passing out.

“We have to do something! He isn’t going to last much longer!” Lance spoke up.

“I agree.” Shiro said.

“He has the power to end this himself.” Kolivan stated.

“But-“

“If he’s isn’t stubborn enough he might make it.” He told them.

After a bit, Keith was clearly loosing, he was being scratched at and being tossed around like a rag doll. Shiro was about to order it to stop just as the thing was about to finish him off when…

“You’re right!” Keith yelled causing the claw to stop in its tracks, just inches away from his face. The werewolf turned back into Keith’s evil clone. It was clear that he knew he wasn’t going to last much longer if things stayed the way they were, so Keith knew the only way to get out alive was to stand up to face it.

“You were right. I didn’t want to admit it, because I was too ashamed. The fact that I can’t lead, why I left and how I feel. It’s all true.” He said. He raised his blade and striked the double, but it didn’t appear again.

Keith fell to his knees again and knew he had enough training for today. So after a breather he headed out. He grabbed a towel to wipe his face off still panting from the emotional workout that he just had. He walked out to get something to eat when he ran into his old friends.

“Keith! You okay?” Shiro asked with Lance right behind him. It took a bit, but eventually Keith gave a smile.

“Yeah. Better than ever.” Was his answer.

**Author's Note:**

> I would have given Keith a Persona, but that wouldn’t have made sense. Maybe for another work.


End file.
